When did the Hee Haw Theater in Branson Missouri operate?

Answer 1

The Hee Haw Theater operated from 1981-1983 in Branson, Missouri. It was a showcase venue for stars of the Hee Haw TV show. Over a dozen cast members of the TV show appeared at the Branson theater during the years it existed. The theater was located next to Whitewater, a family water park, along Highway 76 West. The site of the Hee Haw Theater is the current location (as of 2012) of the Mickey Gilley Theater. The Hee Haw Theater was managed by Tom Lutz, a writer for the TV show. The show consisted of a one hour set by a house band and comedian, followed by a short intermission, and then an hour long set by the showcase act from the Hee Haw TV show. After the show, the act from the Hee Haw TV show would meet fans in the theater gift shop and sign Autographs and have pictures taken with those who wanted one. A producer of the TV show alleged in his autobiography that declining revenue and management issues resulted in the theater closing at the end of the 1983 season. The Hee Haw Theater was a notable place in the annals of the live theater industry in Branson because it was the first theater to feature nationally known Country Music and comedy stars at each and every performance. Manager Tom Lutz also was among the first Branson theater operators to experiment with off season shows. At that time, the Branson tourist season ended at the end of October. In 1981, Lutz experimented with scheduling shows in November and December. A November 1981 series of shows featuring Hee Haw TV star Grandpa Jones drew on average about 30 patrons to the 1000 seat venue. Christmas shows featuring Grady Nutt and Lulu Roman were cancelled following the poor turnout for the Grandpa Jones shows. Prior to the opening of the Hee Haw Theater, all live shows in Branson featured local groups or families, and the theaters were essentially "mom and pop owned" small businesses. Hee Haw Theater was the first Branson theater owned by an outside corporate interest. The theater began the decline of home owned and operated theaters, paving the way for the current trend today of celebrity owned or operated and managed theaters. The groundbreaking Hee Haw Theater and vision of manager Tom Lutz is an overlooked chapter in the history of Branson live shows. The work of Tom Lutz helped paved the way for Branson to become known as the "live show capital of the world." For more information on the Hee Haw Theater, go to Facebook and type in the search box "Hee Haw Theater."